Focus on Success
The Generator (November, 1999)
By Amy Harder
 Motivated
by the need to have control over their lives, reap the rewards of
their hard work, and do what they love, a young married couple left
behind the comfort of high paying jobs and took an entrepreneurial
leap of faith. Today, Martin and Farah Perelmuter have proven themselves
to be an extraordinary entrepreneurial duo managing one of Canada's
hottest speaker bureau ... Speakers' Spotlight.
Speakers' Spotlight is
an agency, which represents Canada's leading inspirational and innovative
speakers. After a year of research and saving pennies, Martin and
Farah set up shop working from a room in their apartment, in 1995.
Today, with business developments all over the country and around
the world, it has become a giant in a cutthroat industry.
Martin and Farah are
not only recognized as leaders in their industry, but throughout
the business community. Farah has been featured in the Who's Who
of Canadian Business Women, nominated twice for a Women Who Makes
a Difference by Toronto Life Fashion Magazine, and was nominated
for Canada's Top Forty Under Forty Award. As well, both Martin
and
Farah have been nominated for the Business Development Bank of
Canada Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. On top of all that,
they would
both say with a smile, ... "We are still married!"
Even after the successes
and challenges of the start-up years, Martin and Farah have never
forgotten their vision, never doubted themselves and never settled!
What was their secret ingredient to survive and succeed? Focus!
They never lost focus of what they wanted out of the business and
out of life. Let's take a look at what puts Martin and Farah in
the Spotlight.
FOCUS on what makes you
different. As a young entrepreneur, you will find it difficult to
convince potential clients to make the switch from your competitor.
Competitive intelligence will help you prove how your product or
service is better. To propel Speakers' Spotlight to the top of their
industry, they offer programs and incentives such as an online speaker
presentation preview and an annual free showcase, which are not
offered by other agencies. The key is to always be innovative.
FOCUS on adding value
to your business, not expensive frills. During the start-up years,
remember, you are not just running a small business, but embracing
a new lifestyle. Managing a small business requires a significant
personal investment, but does not necessarily provide a steady
income.
In other words, renting a full-size office in the heart of the
business district, filling it with staff and high-tech equipment,
may not
be in the cards. Before you make any investment, ask yourself ... "does this add value to my business?" If the answer is no, it is
an unnecessary expense. You should always be very detail oriented
when it comes to finances, "Although, it is important to watch your
budget, it is also important to enjoy life!" explain Martin and
Farah.
FOCUS on your strengths.
Discovering your role in an organization is not only cost effective,
but also it increases productivity and, best of all, if you are
doing what you love, it won't seem like work. It took Martin and
Farah a great deal of patience and time to experiment with different
roles until they could determine one another's fort?. Remember
... your business can't benefit from your talents, if you are not
using
them.
FOCUS your business development
efforts on a target market, as opposed to soliciting the entire
general public. This policy is not only more successful, but time
saving and cost effective. To determine the strategies and tactics
to reach your target market you must do extensive research to understand
the psychographics and demographics to choose the proper medium
or tool for business development, and hit them hard!
FOCUS on creating a credible
reputation in your community. A company's success rests on its reputation.
One way to increase your image, is through social responsibility
programs. Martin and Farah hold an annual free showcase, which features
the faces and talents of their agency. Money raised from these events
is donated back to the community. As an entrepreneur, you have the
power to customize such programs to fit your business and personal
objectives. As Martin and Farah look back on the last five years,
they both agree their best memories and possibly the best moments
of their careers are the times they were able to give back to the
community. (Your greatest business achievements should include non-financial
endeavours.) The rewards are endless, the community appreciates
it, the business world applauds it, and you feel great doing it!
FOCUS on developing a
strong public relations campaign. As opposed to monotonous and expensive
advertising programs. Public relations provides free publicity,
credibility, and, most importantly, an inexpensive, yet, effective
method of communication. The key to public relations campaigns is
defining a clear vision and story. During the start-up years, Martin
and Farah used the media to create awareness and saw immediate results.
Their story was not only of interest to the media, but it set them
apart from others. As a surprise to Martin and Farah, the fact they
were married and managing a venture together, generated exposure
in some of Canada's leading publications. When developing your story,
ensure it is one of prominence, human interest, timeliness, or uniqueness.
FOCUS on developing a
one-to-one marketing strategy. Companies are more and more tailoring
their services to suit the needs of clients on an individual basis
to ensure repeat business. For example, a client of Speakers' Spotlight
was an avid movie watcher, therefore, as part of a thank you to
the client for booking a speaker, Martin and Farah included a pair
of movie passes.
FOCUS on developing a
strong web site. The Internet is the most economical marketing tool
available. In the past month alone, the Speakers' Spotlight's web
site has received a hundred thousand hits from over 30 countries.
Martin and Farah could never have effectively marketed Speakers'
Spotlight globally without the Internet.
FOCUS, but be flexible.
Sometimes, you can't always plan for things. Martin and Farah were
faced with this challenge when the opportunity arose to open an
office in Vancouver to further develop Western Canada and the Pacific
Northwest. Although, it was never a part of their plan, it was a
great opportunity worth the risk. While it is important to stay
focused, it is critical for an entrepreneur to be open-minded to
new ideas and concepts, take risks and believe in gut instincts.
Look up from the beaten path every once in a while. If you don't,
you will miss a great entrepreneurial adventure.
Martin and Farah often
share their story and experiences of starting a business with various
university and college classrooms.
For more information
on Speakers' Spotlight, visit their web site at www.speakers.ca!
The Lawyer’s Weekly - June 17, 2009
Lawyer of the Week
The Toronto Star - March 16, 2009
Presidents don't always subscribe to free speech
Vancouver Sun - March 2, 2009
Football flash Rudy still drawing them in
Financial Post - February 21, 2009
Dubya's coming to Cowtown
MeetingsCanada.com - December 11, 2008
Speakers’ Spotlight CEO Named a Most Powerful Women in 2008
Press Release - November 27 2008
CEO of Speakers’ Spotlight One of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in 2008
MeetingsCanada.com - November 27, 2008
Speakers' Spotlight Wins Workplace Award
Press Release - November 2008
Speakers' Spotlight: More Than Just Talk
MSN Small Business - October 2008
Profile: Speakers' Spotlight
Millionairemom.com - October 2008
Millionaire Moms Audio Interview with Farah Perelmuter
Canadian Event Perspective - August 2, 2008
Defied Odds to Stay True to Their Dream...
Women's Post - July 11, 2008
Woman of the day
Bizbash.com - June 12, 2008
M.C.s Gone Wild - How to keep talent from going off-book and out-of-bounds
by Mimi O'Connor
Workopolis.com - April 28, 2008
4 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills
By Alan Kearns
CareerJoy.com - April 28, 2008
3 keys to a great speech Podcast
Montreal Gazette - April 07, 2008
Bill Clinton raking it in from Canadian public appearances
By Elizabeth Thompson
Alberta Venture - March, 2008
The Star Treatment
By Shannon Sutherland
AOL Canada - February 13, 2008
Couple Q&A:
Romance is....Notes on the Windshield, Bum Squeezes and Kids
By Sarah Treleaven
National Post - December, 2007
Gabbing with gracious gurus
By Shinan Govani,
Woman's Post - December, 2007
Farah Perelmuter: change to happiness
By Angela Trimmer
Midtown Town Crier - November, 2007
Midtown couple dreams their way to success
By Kelly Gadzala
National Post - September 29, 2007
Business owner by age nine, CEO proves an early start helps
By Libby Znaimer
Emprendedores
Speakers Spotlight, por hablar que no quede
Contemporary Business Communication
Business Presentations
By Scot Ober & Brad Quiring
Speaking Of Impact - Summer, 2007
Racing for ROI
By Michelle Ray, CSP
Progressive Choices - Winter/Spring, 2007
Making A Difference
By Cathy Watters
Progressive Choices
National Post - January 15, 2007
Confessions of Dynamic Duos
Running a business with your spouse
By Deena Waisberg
globeandmail.com - May 30, 2006
Married to the Job
By Sasha Nagy
Esteem Magazine - Spring 2006
Balancing Success
By Kevin Craig
The Globe and Mail - Sept. 29, 2004
Speakers' circuit not just talk
By Wallace Immen
WOMEN CAN DO ANYTHING (July 2004)
Let’s
Talk Business Interview
with Farah Perelmuter
INNOVATIVE PROGRESS (May 2004)
BUILD
BUZZ: 8 Keys to Entrepreneurial Success
by Martin Perelmuter, LL B.
SPEAKING OF IMPACT (Spring 2004)
A Tale
of Two Countries
by Martin Perelmuter, LL B.
In Conference
Supplement in The Globe and Mail - Spring 2004
Speaking Out Conferences Energized
by Successful Speakers
PROFITguide.com (October/November 2003)
How to fire your customers - Cutting
off paying customers sounds counterproductive, but it can actually
help you grow
THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS (Nov 13, 2002)
At Bridges to Business symposium - Don't quit
entrepreneurs told
MPI Newsbytes (Volume 9, Issue 27 02 July 2002)
Canadian Speakers Circuit Flying High
by
Funmi Okunbolade
Profit Magazine (June, 2002)
Heroes for Hard Times:Canada's Fastest-Growing
Companies point the way to survival and success
Profit Magazine (June, 2002)
Trends: How to Introduce a Speaker
The Globe and Mail: In Conference Magazine (Spring, 2002)
Talking About Success: The Speaking Industry
The National Post (Monday March 19, 2001)
Site helps track down celebrity speakers
by Marjo Johne
Canadian Jewish News (August 3rd, 2000)
Young Couple's Speakers' Agency Thrives
by Sheldon Kirshner
The Calgary Herald (April 22, 2000)
Mount Everest Climb Shared on Internet
by Michelle Simick
The Generator (November, 1999)
Focus
on Success
by Amy Harder
Royal Bank - Today's Entrepreneur (First Aired: March 29,
1999)
Partners in business and life
Home Business Report (Summer, 1999)
Speakers, Service and Spousal Partners:
Couple brings celebrities to Canadian events
by E.T. (Mitch) Lenko
Globe and Mail (Monday, January 11, 1999)
Couple Builds Agency on Soapbox,
by Jeff Brooke
The National Post (Monday, December 21, 1998)
When Your Partner is Your Business,
by Laura Fowlie
The Western Alumni Magazine (September, 1998)
"Well Spoken",
by Jeff Brooke
The Toronto Star (May 25, 1998)
Thinking Big - Agency puts speakers in spotlight
by Michael Schultz
Association - Canada's Association Management Magazine
(December/January, 1997/1998)
Best Speaker Bets: 1998 Forecast
The Meeting Professional (December, 1997)
"Beyond Boundaries: Speaking Across Cultural Boundaries",
by Martin Perelmuter
The Financial Post Magazine (January, 1997)
"Power Talks",
by John Greenwood
The Toronto Sun (August 18, 1996)
"Two by Two: Lessons for Couples Living and Working
Together",
by Sandy Naiman
Association Magazine (June/July, 1996)
"Helpful Hints on Booking a Speaker",
by Farah Perelmuter
The Toronto Star (November 27, 1995)
"'Canadian' the New Word in Public Speaking",
by Oscar Rojo
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